Jodi Thomas (36 page)

Sarah could only stare as Denver grabbed the ugly brown dress and headed toward her. “Your man’s been stabbed in the back by a no-good, low-life, cattle-stealing, worthless ...”

The dress went over Sarah’s head, blocking out the rest of Denver’s description.

When Sarah finally fought her way through to the neck opening, she asked, “Is he dead?”

Denver snorted a laugh. “If he were dead, hon, we wouldn’t need to be getting him out of town, now would we?”

Sarah nodded as if seeing the logic. “Shouldn’t we be taking him to a doctor?”

“Ain’t no doctor for fifty miles. You’ll have to take care of him. Charlie, the bartender, is loading a wagon for you now.” The huge woman stared directly into Sarah’s eyes. “You can drive a wagon, child? You don’t look strong enough to carry a half-full bucket.”

“I can manage.”

Denver pulled her along as Sarah frantically tried to slip into her shoes. “Good. Don’t worry about the doctoring. Just plug up the hole as best you can and give him whiskey until he stops complaining. That’s always been my method of treating gunshots or stabbings. It seems to work about half the time.”

“But shouldn’t we doctor him before we try to move him?”

“Hon, if he’s not out of town fast, he’ll be dead for sure in an hour. There’s probably men strapping on their six-shooters right now itching for a chance to gun down Sam Gatlin, and they don’t give a twit that he’s been stabbed in the back and already bled a river.” Denver paused at the bottom of the stairs and patted her ample bosom in an effort to breathe easier. “Don’t you know? Your man is a legend in these parts.”

Sarah wasn’t sure she wanted to know what kind of legend. Her gut feeling told her whatever his claim to fame, it wasn’t good.

Denver towed Sarah out the hotel door as panic flooded Sarah’s brain. “But where will I take him?” She didn’t even know the man, or like him for that matter. How could his life suddenly rest on her shoulders? She wasn’t even sure which way was north from here much less how to take him to safety.

Denver stopped so quickly Sarah bumped into her back. The strange woman turned around and whispered, “You’ll take him to Satan’s Canyon. No one will find you there.” Denver stared at Sarah as though gauging her bravery. “If you can’t get him there, we might as well bury him now, for he’s a dead man.”